Oulipo     by Warren Motte Edited by Warren F. Motte Published by Dalkey Archive Press Pub. Date: April 1, 1998 Format: Paperback, 224 pages Dimensions: 0.69 x 8.81 x 5.91 in. ISBN: 1564781879 List Price: $14.95 buy now directly from the publisher Free Shipping Worldwide

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This is an amazing anthology of writings by members of the group known as Oulipo, including, among others, Italo Calvino, Harry Mathews, Georges Perec, Jacques Roubaud, and Raymond Queneau. Put simply, this group, which was fou nded in Paris in 1960, approaches creative writing in a way that still has yet to make its impact in the United States and its creative writing programs. Rather than inspiration, rather than experience, rather than self-expression, the Oulipians viewed im aginative writing as an exercise dominated by what they called "constraints." Quite commonly, they would attempt to write stories, for instance, in which strict rules had to be imposed and followed (for example, Georges Perec's notorious novel A Void, which was written without the use of the letter "e"). While a major contribution to literary theory, Oulipo is perhaps most distinguished as an indispensable guide to writers.

"This reader is truly impressed by Motte's capacity to present, in a clear fashion, material that is still new and 'difficult' to most of his readership."—Jean-Jacques Thomas, South Atlantic Review